The DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference (DMMC) hosted the 2026 Municipal Innovation Celebration, a platform for member municipalities to showcase innovative projects and share best practices. The event promotes the exchange of ideas that help municipalities enhance efficiency and improve operations, with awards presented in the categories of Best Innovation and Best Presentation.
The Village of Downers Grove won both awards for its Greener Way Guide, an interactive website designed to engage residents in achieving the goals of Guiding DG Sustainability, the Village’s first comprehensive environmental sustainability plan. The Village adopted the plan in 2025 and introduced the Greener Way Pledge, an invitation for community members to participate in environmental stewardship.
The guide connects residents with more than 220 suggested actions and more than 550 online resources across 26 topics. Residents can explore personalized recommendations, save actions they wish to take, and mark them complete to track their progress. The website also provides the Village with information on community participation and progress toward sustainability goals.
In approximately the first 100 days after launch, the Village recorded 204 pledge participants, 364 saved actions, and 305 completed actions. These figures reflect community participation in putting the Village’s sustainability goals into practice. The project offers other municipalities an approach they can adapt to support their own community priorities.
The event also featured entries from the Villages of Hanover Park, Schaumburg, and Western Springs:
The Village of Hanover Park created an automated system to manage real estate transfer tax applications from submission through final approval. The system coordinates reviews across Village departments and consolidates documents, balances, comments, and approvals into one centralized record, allowing staff to track each application’s progress.
The Village of Schaumburg developed a public safety wellness initiative supporting the mental and physical health of police officers and firefighters. The Police Department brings wellness professionals into the workplace to make support more accessible. The Fire Department offers a voluntary program that promotes health awareness and physical readiness.
The Village of Western Springs launched the Community Care Program to pair volunteers with eligible seniors and individuals with disabilities who need assistance maintaining their homes. Volunteers provide lawn care, snow shoveling, and other basic property maintenance at no cost to participating homeowners. The program also connects residents with additional Village services and resources.
DMMC congratulates Downers Grove on receiving both awards and thanks all participating municipalities for sharing their projects. The Municipal Innovation Celebration highlights the creativity and expertise of member communities while providing opportunities to learn from one another and explore ideas that can be adapted to strengthen municipal operations and services.